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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. J. E. HOLMES 8v L. N. CHARLES.

CABLE GRIPPER AND PICK-UP.v

110.391.471. Patfpted Oct. 23, 1888.

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N. PETERS. pmu-Limogmpm-r. wnhxngwm o. c.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet '.2. J. E. HOLMES 8u L. N. CHARLES.

CABLE GRIPPER AND P10K-UP.

No. 391,471. Patented Oct. 23, 1888.

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N. PETERS. FhemLnhagmpher. wnshingmn, D, C.

JOSEPII E. HOLMES AND LEWIS N. CHARLES, OF-VASHINGTON, DISTRICT OFCOLUMBIA.

CABLE GRIPPER AND PICK-UP.

i SPECIFICATION 'forming part of Letters Patnt No 391,471, dated October23, 1888.

Application filed March 9, 1888. Serial No. 266,685. (No model.)

To aZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that we, Josnrn E. HoLMns and Lnwrs N. CHARLES, citizens oftheUnited States, residing at Washington, in the District of Columbia,have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Underground Conduitsfor Cable Railways and Mechanism for Gripping and Picking up Gables; andwe do declare the following to be a full, clear, and

io exact description of the invention, such as will enable othersskilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same,reference heing had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters andfigures of reference marked :5 thereon, which form a part of thisspecification.

The invention relates to cable-conduits and to means for picking up andgripping cables for usein cable-railways and for other like pur- 2oposes, and to improvements upon matters secured to us by Letters PatentNo. 386,824, dated July 31, 1888; and it consists in certain devices orcombinations thereof, hereinafter iully described, and particularlypointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, which form part of the specification,Figure 1 `represents a side elevation of the gripping and pickingupmechanism and a section of a car and of a 3o conduit, the section of thelatter being made vertically in a plane passing th rough the slot andthe bottom ofthe conduit. Fig. 2 embraces a side view of the picking-updevice and two edge views of the same, the lower edge view showing thepicking-up arm at its highest position and the upper view showing itafter it has partially descended, and a detail view of a gravitatingswitch. Fig. 3 is a detail showing the switch or gravitating latch 4othat deects the picking'up arm in its descent. Fig. 4. is a detail ofmechanism for releasing the cable from the gripping and picking-upmechanism; and Figs. 5 and 6 each represent a transverse section of theconduit, the grip- 41,5 ping-levers and a picking-up wheel being shownin the former, which section is taken at a curve in the conduit.

In the several figures like figures of reference indicate like parts.

1 indicates the conduit, and2 the usual slot, 5o or the lips of thesame.

3 is a wheel for supporting the cable .tin its lowest position. It ispivoted in projections cast on the interior of the conduit and extendsdown into an enlargement, which is adapted to be connected with a sewer,as shown.

5 is a cam for operating a grip-releasing device by means of frictionwheel or pin 6, as will hereinafter be described.

7, 8, and 9 are horizontal bars arranged in 6o pairs and bolted tovertical bars 10 10 10 11 11 on each side thereof, constituting a rigidframe which is supported from a car in any approved manner. 'It isrepresented in Fig. l as bolt-ed to a car-axle, 12, by means of bars 9.In practice both ends of the bars will be suitably secured to the car.

Mechanism for operating the picking-up and gripping devices is indicatedby 13, 14, 15, and 16, of which 13 indicates one of the parallel 7obars, between and to which the vertical bars 14, which support the4pilcking-up wheel 17 and the grip-operating bar 15, are bolted. At litslower end bar 15 is loosely connected with a bar, 16, which latter baroperates the grip jaws or levers, as indicated in Figs.. 1 and 5. Thesegrip-levers are journaled at 51 (indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1)andhave a loose connection with the lower end of bar 16, the arrangementbeing such that the ascent of 8o bar 16 causes the levers to move abouttheir journals 51 51, so as to grip the cable, asindicated in Fig. 5. Areverse movement of the bar and levers releases the cable, a Very slightmovement of bar 16 being sufficient for 85 these purposes, as more fullydescribed in our aforesaid patent. This bar 16 is provided with anopening or slot which receives the T- shaped head of the bar 15, whichhead is preferably made adjustable and is of a size to en- 9o gageshoulders formed in bar 16, as shown. The operating-rod 15 is pivotallyconnected with a bent lever, 1S, which lever is provided with a rolleror wheel, 19, journaled at its bend. This wheel is arranged to roll onthe upper end of the frame-bar 11 and between the side bars, 20, boltedto 11. on each side thereof, which form a supporting-track therefor. Theupper ends of the two pairs of vertical frame-bars 10 are bolted betweenbars 20, which latter are preferably each formed in one with across-bar,.21; or the latter may be formed separately and rigidlyconnected to a bar, 20, in any usual way. The lever 18 moves in avertical plane between the curved or bent bars 21.

22 is a spring, which may be made of rub ber. It is detachably securedat one end to the lever, as by a hook. Its opposite end may be securedin similar manner to the frame.

` 23 is a releasing device, more fully illus,4 trated in Fig. 4. Thisdevice consists of a lever, 23, connected with the frame-bar 21 by aheaded pin or bolt, 24, which bolt passes through an elongated slot inthe lever 23, whereby the curved lever is permitted to rock on pin 24 inthe direction of the length of the lever.

25 is a pawl rigidlysecured to the lever and passing freely through thebar 2l and normally engaging with a rack, 26, formed transversely on thelever 18, which lever' is shown in section in Fig. 4, the sectionpassing through the rack.

27 is a pin secured to lever 23 and passing freely through side har, 2l.This pin is arranged to normally extend nearly across the space betweenside bars, 21, and in the path of the bar 28, having a beveled end, asshown. The lever 23 is usually held, as represented in Fig. 4, by spring29, so that pawl 25 engages a tooth of the rack, and pin 27 liesl in theascending path of the beveled bar 28. The ascent of the bar 28 moves thepin 27, pawl 25, and the lower end of bar 23 outward, disen gaging theratchet-teeth and compressing the spring. The bar 28 is caused to ascendby means of the pin 6 on its lower end being brought in engagement, whenthe car is in motion, with the cam 5, located in the path of the pin 6and a little below the conduit-slot.

The parts being in position represented in Fig. 1, in which the cable issecurely gripped and the picking-up wheel is in close contact with theunder side ofthe cable and the car or the gripping and picking-upmechanism being supposed to be moving toward the right, the operationwill be as follows: As soon as pin 6 engages the inclined surface of cam5 and is carried up thereon the bar 28 is caused to move up and releasethe lever 18 by disengaging the pawl 25. The weight of the cable,pressing upon the pivoted gripping-levers and upon the picking-upwheels,will at once open the gripping-levers, releasing the cable, andwill depress the short end of the bent lever 18 and throw its long armto the posit-ion indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1. This et'tect ofthe descending cable operates through bars 14, 13, and 15, which arerigidly secured together. This movement elongates the spring 22,whichneed not necessarily be normally taut, as shown in connection with thelower position of lever 18, but which is made of such tensile force thatit will arrest the upward movement of the long arm of the lever and thedownA ward movement of the picking-up mechanism as soon as the cable isreleased. If desired, spring 22 may have sufficient tension to raise thepicking-u p wheel after the cable is dropped. To drop the picking-upwheel to a position below the dropped cable, the spring 22 is re leased,whereupon the weight of the partsimmediately depresses the pickinglupmechanism, provided,of course,that lever 18 has been released from pawl25, either automatically, by bar 28, or by manipulation of lever 23. Itis obvious that other means for releasingthe pawl can be employed-as forexample, the well-known thumboperated device located on thereversing-lever of a locomotive engine acting in connection with thethrottle valve. Such a construction would enable the several operationsto be effected by one hand grasping lever 18.

The cable is released from the picking-up wheels by the followingdescribed means:

Each bar 14 is composed of two members hinged together at a point, 30,in any suitable manner to permit lateral motion only.

31 is a pin secured in the lower' member of bar 14,and arranged totravel in a cam-groove, 32, formed in the face of the adjacent framebar11, near to and partly in the enlarged lower end, 33, of said bar, andmade a little longer than the normal path of the pin, as indicated inthe lower view of Fig. 2. If desired, a pin may be provided to engageacam or groove in the frame-bar 10 on the opposite side.

34 is a gravitating switch journaled in the frame and arranged to lie inthe groove of the cam in the path of pin 31. It is cut away ou its faceadjacent to itsjournal 54, so as not to obstruct the passage of pin 3l.It assumes by gravity the position indicated in Fig. 2. When bar 14begins to descend and has carried pin 31 into contact with the upperinclined surface of the switch, its lower member is moved to one side,being turned on its hinge 30, as indicated in the upper view of Fig. 2.The continuance of this movement releases the cable from wheel 17 andallows the cable to drop to its lowest position on supporting-wheels 3.To cause the picking-up wheels to descend to piek up the cable, it willbe necessary to releasev the spring by unhooking it to allow thelever 18to be moved to another position. As soon as pin 3l has been carried nearthe lower end of the groove during this upward movement of lever 18, itstrikes an inclined portion of the same arranged to throw the bar backto a vertical position, which movement is aided by gravity. This bringsthe picking-up wheel under the cable and in readiness to lift the same.By a reverse movement of operating-lever 18 (toward the right in Fig. 1)bar 14 and the cable are raised. During this movement pin 3l passesfreely up through the long vertical portion of the camgroove and underthe gravitating switch, lifting the same to permit the ICC log,

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upward passage of the pin, said switch dropping immediately back toitsnormal position, in readiness to deflect the lower member of thepicking-up bar when it descends, as above described.

While we prefer to use a switch substantially as above described, itsuse is not indispensable, since the groove could be so shaped asteinsure the required lateral movements of the lower member of bar 14without the aid of a switch; and, further, the particular form of thisdevice can be easily varied by ordinary skill without materiallychanging its function. A similar gravitating switch may be used, ifdesired, to insure the ascent of pin 31 in the vertical groove of thecam.

At the commencement of the descent of bar 15, the bar 16, being relievedof its support on the shoulders or T-head of said bar 15, is free todescend until arrested by the engagement of a projection on said barwith the frame. The weight of the cable releases the gripping leversorjaws by turning them on their journals, 51. In the further downwardmovement of the bar 15 it descends freely in the slot 52 in bar 16. Thelatter is lifted by the former near the end of its upward movement teclose the grip. The same movement, therefore, A of the lever 18 whichlifts the cable and forces it against the grippingjaws, tending to closethem, also operates near the end of the movement to raise bar 16, whichbar is directly connected to the gripping lever. This movement of thebar 16 is comparatively small, and in' order to adjust the parts toproduce an exactand timely effect on the grip an adjustable connectionbetween bars 15 and 16 is desirable. For this purpose the lower end ofbar 15 may be screw-threaded and a nut screwed thereon to constitute thebefore described T- head. Other known means of adjustment of the partsmay be employed to compensate for wear with a view to the closing of thegrip positively at the moment the cable is lifted to its highestposition. rIwo picking up bars with the lower members hinged andarranged to swing their wheels away from the cable on oppositedirections are preferably used, though a single bar and wheel could beemployed, arranged, if desired, between two gripping devices. Thesevarious movements above described may be timed and controlled by thegripman manipulating the lever 18. The release of the cable from thegrigiT by cam 5 is, however, automatically efi'ected while the fall ofthe picking-up wheels is arrested by the spring 22. This cam 5 will inpractice be made of such length that the releasing-bar will be held upand the pawl 25 disengaged sufficiently long to allow the lever to bemoved up entirely out of the path of said pawl. If desirable, a smallportion of the upn per part of cam 5 can be made horizontal to sustainthe releasingbar for an instant at a desired height.

1n, the operation of gripping the lever 18 is forced downwardly untilthe rack on it is contiguous to the pawl 25, over which the rackteethslide until that position of the lever is reached which insures thestrongest possible grip of the cable. secured in this position and heldby the engagement of the pawl with the rack, the pawl being alwayscaused to engage by 'the action of the spring 29,andnever released,except by the automatic arrangement described or by an intentionalmovement of the lever 23. It is obvious that lever 23 could be made toautomatically cause the pawl to engage the rack by gravity and spring 29be dispensed with.

37 represents awheel journaled in a bracket supported by the frame-bars11, and arranged to act in direct opposition to the downwardly andoutwardly acting pull of the cable passing through a curved conduit. Itsupports the grip and pickingup mechanism against this pull of the cableat or near their lower extremity, where it acts more efficiently, bothby reason of its position and because of its inclined direction, whichenables it to directly oppose the direction of the pull to be overcome.This so called pull is the resultant ofthe weightof the cable and thetendency of the cable to be drawn toward the inner side of a curve inthe conduit.

The gripping-levers, more fully described in the before-named patent,resemble atoggle joint or lever in their action, and could be caused toeffcctually grip the cable by lifting it against the grip jaws, thoughour construction provides for the co-operation of a direct action of thegripping-lever.

It may be noted that our pickingnp device enables us to use endlesscables in serics,since it provides means for dropping and picking up thecable with certainty at the will of the gripman, and also of droppingthe cable automaticall y whenever a car approaches a drum, cross-cable,or other permanent obstruction by means of cams 5, suitably located inthe conduit.

The bent lever 18 is provided with a wheel, 19, which constitutes amovable fulcrum. lt is not essential that this wheel bear on. the top ofbar 11,01' that the particular bars 20` be used to guide it laterally. Awider bearing and other guides may be substituted, if desired. The mainfunction of the device, however, is important, for the reason that itprovides for raising bar 15 perpendicularly,and atthe same time providesthat the fulcrum shall be the nearest to the load at the time thegreatest work is to be done. Thus, instead of thelever pulling bar 15 toone side, the fulcrum 19 moves toward the bar, which is thereforepermitted to move freely in a direct line upward, and as the cable islifted thereby andthe grip is closing, and when the greatest power is yneeded, said fulcrum is closely adjacent to the bar and the leverage ismost powerful. Our

other improvements are not, however, limited to the particulararrangement uof operating The lever is automatically IOO lever shown. Insome cases we propose to use a series of levers, such as described inour patent aforesaid, by connecting them with the picking-up andgrippingvbars ata convenient point, as at line y y of Fig. 1, below acarlloor.

Having thus described our invention, what we desire to claim and secureby Letters Patent is 1. In a construction for picking up cables, anoperating-bar composed oi' two members having a hinged connection,thelower member being provided with a projection and carrying acablesupporting device, in combination with a relatively iiXed part providedwith a cam being provided with a projection and carryingamable-supporting device, in combination with a frame provided with acam to guide the projection and cause a lateral movement of said lowermember during the vertical movement of the bar, and a switch to insuresaid lateral movement, substantially as specified.

3.1m a cable-gripping mechanism, the combination of a frame,gripping-levers snpl ported in said frame, an operating-bar composed oftwo members connected by means of an enlarged part or head on one and ashouldered slot in the other, an operating-bar for a picking-up device,and a lever, substantially as specified, whereby the same lever can beused to pick up the cable and close the grip.

4. In a cable-supporting device, thecombination of an operating bar orrod held to move in a straight line, with a lever having its short armconnected directly to the bar and provided with a fnlcrum movable inoperation to and from the said bar,whereby,without detlecting the barfrom a straight line the relative effective lengths of the long andshort arms may be varied to vary the velocity and powe1,substantially asset forth.

5. In a cable-supporting device, an operating bar or rod combined with alever having a pivotal or hinge connection therewith, said lever beingprovided with a fulcrum supported to move whenever power is applied tothe power-arm of the lever to or from the operating-rod, whereby therelative distance of the power and the load from the fnlcrum is variedwhenever the lever is operated to move the bar, substantially as setforth.

6. In a cable-gripping mechanism, the combination of a frame, a bar tooperate the grip, an operating-lever to move the bar, having a rack, anda pawl to engage the rack supported in an automatically-actuated lever,substantially as specified, whereby the parts are automatically lockedwhen the cable is gripped.

7. In a cable-gripping mechanism, an automatic releasing deviceconsisting of a vertically-moving bar,a rack on the grip-operatinglever, a pawl supported in a movable lever having a part thereofnormally situated in the path of the releasing device, and a cam in theconduit to engage a projection on the vertically-moving bar,substantially as specified, whereby the releasingbar may be raised, thepawl moved away from the rack and the lever released.

8. The combination of the frame, bars for operating the picking'up andgripping mechanism, the operating-lcv er connected with said bars,andthe spring attached to the frame and to thelever, substantially asspecified, whereby when the cable is dropped the descent of thepicking-up mechanism is arrested.

9. A cable-conduit having a curved section and a brace or web having abearing-face inclined to a horizontal plane cast in the side ot' t-heconduit, in combination with a fenderwheel supported in the grip-frameat or near the level of the grippinglevers, said wheel being situated atan inclination to a horizontal plane, substantially as specied, wherebythe cable may be sustained in the direction of the strain resulting fromthe curvature of the conduit and the weight of the cable, and' near thepoint where such strain is applied to the grip.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures in presence of twowitnesses.

JOSEPH E. HOLMES. LEWIS N. CHARLES. Witnesses:

JNO. J. (300K, CHAs. E. BAILEY.

